Homestead goals for 2021

[Chicken lady]

The garden is going well, although I am currently swamped in things I need to put up or eat.

Record keeping us also going well.

chuckshaw is almost done, and I’m down to 39 chicks thanks to a raccoon - who did not eat any roosters, so downsizing will be easy. I have at least 3 extra roosters.

I REALLY need to address the fruit plants

and yesterday instead of working on that for two hours, I went to see a baby rabbit, bought it, and drove to town to get it a water bottle (have the cage) a third rabbit has been at the back of my mind and this was either a rare opportunity (very low price, hard to find breed) or a mistake (unknown genetics, not the color I was planning, a little too young - lost the mom, raccoons are bad this year.). Time will tell....

how is everyone else doing?

[iris lilies]

how is everyone else doing?

B3EAA7D4-0A5A-4D22-B4DA-C3AA47508B37.jpg

things need a bit of work around here…

[razz]

With the ample recent rain, my gardens are doing very well. Right now I am pulling all the little shoots of crabgrass in my lawn. Neighbour on my right has the landscaper's dream lawn and neighbour on left who does mow as necessary has lots of plantain and crabgrass right beside my lawn. Fortunately, I like both neighbours.
My 2020 flower bed in a swale area is looking good but the mulch flows when the rain flows so I need to lift the mulch around the plants and flagstones and replace with a crushed granite rocks, I think, when the weather is cooler.

[Chicken lady]

Wow iris, that is a serious gut remodel.

Razz, is it a rain garden?

the raspberries are mulched.

[razz]

Razz, is it a rain garden?

No, I live on a curve so that garden is shaped like a slice of pie and the rain runs from the wide area to the thin part. Heavy rain drains from both my rainspout and my right-side neighbour's as well as the water from the property behind me.
I did look into a rain garden for part of the drainage of my property but the grading of this swale was originally inspected and approved by the municipality with strong direction not to modify.

[frugal-one]

Got shallots and green & yellow beans from the farmer's market today. Prices were comparable to last year even though we have had a drought. Am happy to buy what we need (just the two of us).

[nswef]

The little 8 x 10 wildflower garden I planted is blooming beautifully. I planted the seeds very thickly, hoping to keep out the weeds. there is some grass that I need to tackle, but I am so excited with the colors and variety of flowers, some that I am hoping re seed. I think they are supposed to. I also picked a dozen gladiolas that look beautiful in the vase I use only for them as it is tall and thin with a wide top that is ideal, holds the stems upright. What truly excites me is that they come back every year and we are in piedmont Maryland...didn't think they were supposed to come back so I am very happy!

[iris lilies]

The little 8 x 10 wildflower garden I planted is blooming beautifully. I planted the seeds very thickly, hoping to keep out the weeds. there is some grass that I need to tackle, but I am so excited with the colors and variety of flowers, some that I am hoping re seed. I think they are supposed to. I also picked a dozen gladiolas that look beautiful in the vase I use only for them as it is tall and thin with a wide top that is ideal, holds the stems upright. What truly excites me is that they come back every year and we are in piedmont Maryland...didn't think they were supposed to come back so I am very happy!

Your flower garden sounds nice. I have had Gladiolus come back for a couple of years. I just put some in the ground a couple days ago in the unlikely event we still have warm weather in October and I can bring them to bloom. I got 40 glads for free from a neighbor. They are tiny and do not look healthy but we shall see what happens.

[nswef]

Good luck IL. I have put them in as late as mid June, but not July and they sent up greenery then came back the next year. Here's a sideways picture. Glads 7 16 21.jpg

[iris lilies]

Good luck IL. I have put them in as late as mid June, but not July and they sent up greenery then came back the next year. Here's a sideways picture. Glads 7 16 21.jpg

nice glads.